American baseball player (1949?2011)
Baseball player
Jesse Jefferson
|
---|
|
Pitcher
|
Born:
(
1949-03-03
)
March 3, 1949
Midlothian, Virginia
, U.S.
|
Died:
September 8, 2011
(2011-09-08)
(aged 62)
Midlothian, Virginia, U.S.
|
Batted:
Left
Threw:
Right
|
|
June 23, 1973, for the Baltimore Orioles
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|
September 30, 1981, for the California Angels
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|
Win?loss record
| 39?81
|
---|
Earned run average
| 4.81
|
---|
Strikeouts
| 522
|
---|
|
---|
|
|
Jesse Harrison Jefferson
(March 3, 1949 ? September 8, 2011) was an American professional baseball
pitcher
with the
Baltimore Orioles
(1973-1975),
Chicago White Sox
(1975-1976),
Toronto Blue Jays
(1977-1980),
Pittsburgh Pirates
(1980) and
California Angels
(1981) of
Major League Baseball
(MLB). Jefferson batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Career
[
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]
Baltimore Orioles
[
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]
Jefferson was drafted by the
Baltimore Orioles
in the
1968 Major League Baseball draft
out of Carver High School in
Midlothian, Virginia
. He went 40?50 with a 3.71
earned run average
over six seasons in the Orioles'
farm system
when he debuted with the club in
1973
. He pitched a ten-inning
complete game
in his major league debut on June 23. In the second game of a
doubleheader
with the
Boston Red Sox
at
Fenway Park
, he nearly pitched a five-
hit
shutout
;
Rico Petrocelli
hit a solo
home run
to tie the score with two outs in the ninth inning. The Orioles responded with a
run
in the top of the tenth inning to earn Jefferson the
win
.
[1]
Jefferson's
rookie
season was his only winning season, as he went 6?5 with a 4.11 ERA as a spot
starter
and middle inning
relief pitcher
. The Orioles captured the
American League East
crown, and manager
Earl Weaver
had Jefferson slated to be his long reliever in the post season,
[2]
but he did not make an appearance in the
1973 American League Championship Series
with the
Oakland Athletics
. Jefferson moved into the
bullpen
in
1974
, making just two spot starts, both against the Red Sox.
Chicago White Sox
[
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]
After going 0–2 in four games during the first
2
+
1
⁄
2
months of the campaign, Jefferson was traded from the Orioles to the White Sox for
Tony Muser
in one of two transactions made by Chicago at the non-waiver trade deadline on June 15,
1975
.
[3]
With the Chisox, Jefferson was moved back into the starting rotation, compiling a 5?9 record with a 5.10 ERA. He split the
1976
between starts and the bullpen before he was lost to the
Toronto Blue Jays
in the
1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft
.
Toronto Blue Jays
[
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]
Jefferson set many career highs with the Blue Jays in
1977
. His 33 starts and 217
innings pitched
were by far his best. Despite setting a Blue Jay franchise record with nine
walks
in a game against Baltimore on June 18,
[4]
Jefferson's
strikeout-to-walk ratio
was also a career best 1.37 as he struck out 114 batters versus 83 walks.
Perhaps the most memorable outing of Jefferson's career came on May 16,
1980
, against eventual 22?game winner
Mike Norris
and the Oakland A's. Jefferson held the A's to just four hits over 11 innings while striking out ten. Norris was equally brilliant, but the Jays managed to squeak out a run in the bottom of the 11th to earn Jefferson the win.
[5]
After that performance, Jefferson lost his next five decisions. He made his final appearance for Toronto on September 1, facing five batters and retiring just one while giving up three
earned runs
, allowing an inherited runner to score and committing an error. He was placed on waivers with a 4?13 record and 5.47 ERA.
He was selected off waivers by the
Pittsburgh Pirates
on September 11,
[6]
and made just one appearance for the club, beating the
Chicago Cubs
.
[7]
Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the
California Angels
. He started the
1981
season in the Angels' starting rotation, but after going 0?4 with a 4.68 ERA in his first five starts, was moved into the bullpen. He pitched far better in relief, going 2?0 with a 1.04 ERA in 21 appearances. He spent
spring training
1982
with the Orioles, but did not make the club.
Death
[
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]
In 2011, Jefferson died of
prostate cancer
.
[8]
References
[
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]
- ^
"Baltimore Orioles 2, Boston Red Sox 1"
. Baseball-Reference.com. June 23, 1973.
- ^
Tom Loomis (September 23, 1973).
"Weaver Back on Top"
. Toledo Blade.
- ^
"White Sox Acquire Left-Handed Pitchers"
. The Press-Courier. June 15, 1975.
- ^
"Baltimore Orioles 4, Toronto Blue Jays 2"
. Baseball-Reference.com. June 18, 1977.
- ^
"Toronto Blue Jays 1, Oakland A's 0"
. Baseball-Reference.com. May 16, 1980.
- ^
"Pirates Acquire Jefferson"
. Sarasota Herald. September 12, 1980.
- ^
"Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Chicago Cubs 1"
. Baseball-Reference.com. October 3, 1980.
- ^
Pete Kerzel (September 10, 2011).
"Ex-Oriole Jesse Jefferson dead at 62"
. MASN.
External links
[
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]